Chapter 1
“Road trip, baby!” Sara grinned excitedly out the car window, her curly auburn hair whipping wildly in the wind as the convertible sped along the highway. Her two best friends, Jade and Tyler, sat up front, singing loudly and off-key to the pop song bombarding through the speakers at full volume.
As the lush, dense forests and sparkling lakes of rural Oregon blurred past, Sara sighed contentedly, leaning back into her seat. It had been far too long since their entire friend group had found an overlapping free weekend. And even longer since they’d all gone camping together, like in their late-night library study sessions back at university.
She gazed warmly at Jade’s glowing smile as her friend dramatically serenaded them, extensions dancing around her shoulders. Though Jade seemed carefree, Sara knew her friend secretly stressed about vet school and could use this getaway weekend chilling at the campground trails just as much as anyone else.
Glancing at the blond-goateed driver focused intently on navigating the winding roads, Sara felt a familiar glimmer of affection for her oldest friend, Tyler. They went all the way back to high school theatre camp, ever since Tyler had shyly offered Sara half his PB&J when he found her crying behind stage before their big performances. She trusted him more than anyone.
As majestic Mt. Hood emerged on the horizon ahead like a dormant mythic giant, Sara felt a familiar nervous energy tingling within. Their destination was near a dense pine forest with legendary camping spots that the trio hadn’t visited since before college. Back then, they’d sworn to return every summer. But four years had slipped quickly by in a blur of university chaos.
“We have arrived, my ladies!” Tyler proclaimed theatrically as the gravel parking lot appeared up ahead, the packed campsite nestled against thick, towering pines. Jade whooped excitedly, practically vibrating as she quickly helped Tyler gather their overstuffed hiking packs and supplies while Sara unfolded herself from the cramped backseat.
Inhaling deeply with her eyes closed, Sara let the crisp mountain air fill her lungs, rich with the earthy scents of cedar and pine. She felt her stress levels already dropping.
As the group hauled gear towards the check-in booth near the main trailhead, Sara frowned slightly. The usual ranger station seemed empty. No smoke rose from the stone fireplace chimney or tantalizing scents from the morning’s campfire-grilled bacon. Had they opened for the season yet?
Setting down his duffel bag heavily, Tyler confirmed her thoughts. "The place looks deserted, guys.” His bearded face looked thoughtful as Jade let out an annoyed huff, blowing her dark, blunt bangs aside. “Ugh, lame. Don’t tell me we drove three hours to find this place still closed.”
“Camping season should definitely be underway by late spring.” Sara murmured, wandering closer to the unmanned counter, lined with trail maps and safety information. Cobwebs stretched across the corners, and a fine layer of dust covered every surface. This station hadn’t seen human presence in quite some time.
“Spoke too soon,” Jade called out behind her. Sara followed her gaze to a bulletin board near the restrooms. Piper’s Pines Campgrounds map was hammered to the weathered wood. The familiar network of hiking trails stood out clearly with a few minor path additions, but bright red letters screamed out across the header: CLOSED UNTIL 2025 FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT AND RENOVATIONS.
“You’ve got to be freaking kidding me,” Tyler groaned loudly and dragged his fingers down his face. Sara knew Tyler had been envisioning this trip as helping spark life back into their drifting quartet of longtime friends. Her heart squeezed tight, with equal parts frustration and sad nostalgia.
She flipped open her heavy forest service trail guide, recalling a familiar spot. “Hey, wait—it says some of the deeper wilderness areas stay open to the public during renovations.” Her green eyes quickly scanned the list of campgrounds before landing triumphantly on one tucked away near a small lake.
“Tree hollow sites should still be accessible from the south trailhead! We passed it a few miles back. What do you say? Keep this adventure alive." Sara raised her eyebrows pleadingly, waving the map enticingly.
Tyler chuckled, admiration crinkling his eyes softly. "Well, how can I say no when you get that look, Sar?” He wrapped an easy arm around Jade’s shoulder. "C'mon, bestie, let’s go make our own campground!"
After Tyler bickered lightheartedly with his disembodied GPS app to reroute towards Tree Hollow, Sara grinned contently from the cramped but cozy backseat. As the convertible wound deeper into the hushed, towering pines, she knew that as long as their trio stuck together, they could handle surprise detours or dusty old path maps.
Eventually they reached a small gravel turnoff with a faded, carved wooden sign pointing towards “Tree Hollow Walk-In Sites—1 Mile.”. As Tyler carefully maneuvered over uneven ground, now more dirt than gravel, Sara wedged her torso between the driver and passenger seats.
"Sure, it's quiet out here, huh?” She mused. Their voices sounded small and muffled against the dense clusters of somber pines pressing close on either side. “It’s...peaceful,” Jade supplied diplomatically, but Sara caught her quick sideways glance towards Tyler. As the gravel trickled away to pack dirt beneath their tires, not a single other vehicle appeared to be parked at the reputed campgrounds ahead. After twenty minutes of seeing no other hints of human life, Tyler pulled up beside a small wooden latrine and cut the engine.
"Well, my trusty electronics can’t betray me this far out,” he muttered, climbing out to inspect the sole marker amidst a gap in the trees. “According to that weather-beaten map, back there we should be in the right spot. Let’s scout around!”
The group split up, calling loudly for any fellow campers hidden in the woods amidst the unusually dense clusters of pines surrounding the narrow dirt turnoff. Every voice echoed flatly against the indifferent trees before fading away; no replies were forthcoming.
As Sara looped back from checking down by the unseen lakeshore, she shivered slightly despite her cozy flannel shirt. She couldn’t shake the creeping sensation of being watched from the woods. Ridiculous, she knew, yet the unease lingered. She shook herself as she helped Jade gather kindling into a pile on the grassy dirt area Tyler had deemed their camp.
Soon, crackling flames radiated warmth, and camaraderie flowed easily once more between the three friends as they roasted hotdogs for ridiculously stacked sandwiches. Laughing together with familiar teasing and recalling old stories, Sara shook off her earlier odd sense of foreboding. Clearly, no one has occupied these particular walk-in sites lately, but regardless, they could still craft their own perfect campground adventure.
As the bold reds and oranges of the sunset surrendered to twilight, however, Sara once again couldn’t ignore the prickling feeling on the back of her neck. They were the only souls around for miles, yet prying eyes watched them from the dark. As the whispering wind turned icy, needling doubt crept back in. Where was everyone else, and why did the fire’s warmth suddenly feel so very far away?
